Bottom Bracket Tools

I am ever so excited that the bike industry has devised yet another bottom bracket standard. As I understand it, the new T47 standard solves every problem ever faced by manufacturers, mechanics, and consumers with no nagging drawbacks, unlike all the previous designs that promised the same thing. I am confident about this because of all the positive feedback from people who’ve seen a photograph of one on the internet. Such a long and unbiased track record is….like, gold or some shit.

And I really hope that Shimano gets on the T47 bandwagon, because I just love collecting tools. Shimano managed to create new bottom bracket models on an existing standard that required two new tools for installation, rather than use the nearly universal tool for 24mm spindle & external bearing bottom brackets (that they themselves invented over fifteen years ago).

In the photo above is a part of my growing BB tool collection, for external bearings. From the left is the BSA30 for Rotor external bearing BBs that fit traditional English or Italian shells but a spin a 30mm spindle, the old Shimano external bearing BB-style tool, the new one for Shimano Ultegra and lower-level BBs, and the one for the newest Dura Ace 9000 BB. Not shown is the tool for FSA’s EVO386 standard, which is quite similar to Rotors BSA30, but of course take a different tool. I have a hoard of other tools to fit various square-taper BB, but I’d rather not admit to it. I don’t want people to think I support their decision to adhere to archaic cycling technology.